ZDNET's key takeaways

Bose is back with the midrange QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen).
They include notable improvements in sound quality and ANC capabilities.
The headphones keep their $359 price point.

High-end headphones appeal to many, yet a reliable midrange option often suits others better. Bose's QuietComfort line exemplifies this balance, and nearly 10 months after launching the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), the brand introduces the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen).

Bose has equipped its midrange model with several important enhancements once limited to premium versions, such as USB-C audio support, adaptive noise cancellation, and spatial audio features. The second-gen QuietComfort Headphones maintain their $359 price for the time being.

Enhanced audio and ANC performance

Beyond their cost, naming, and 24-hour battery life, the second-gen QuietComfort Headphones share little with earlier versions.

Bose has improved multiple audio aspects of the QuietComfort Headphones, notably adding USB-C audio. Listeners can enjoy 24-bit/48kHz lossless playback through USB-C while charging the device simultaneously. The QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) preserve the 3.5mm connection for use with traditional analog setups like CD players or airplane entertainment systems.

Bose has also incorporated its spatial audio rendering system, Immersive Audio, into these midrange headphones. Users can select Still, Motion, or Cinema modes that leverage Bose's TrueSpatial tech for tailored spatial experiences with music, podcasts, films, and additional content.

Many avoid proprietary spatial audio processing from Bose or competitors due to its sometimes artificial quality. Still, this represents a welcome update for a line that has stayed straightforward across generations.

The second-gen QuietComfort Headphones offer more user-friendly noise-canceling options thanks to two extra microphones, refined adaptive feedforward performance, adaptive noise cancellation, better voice isolation, and the option to disable noise cancellation entirely.

Feedforward microphones sit outside the earcups to detect and neutralize outside sounds before they reach the listener. Bose notes that the upgraded microphones will assist users wearing hats or glasses by adjusting for imperfect seals.

Bose has added ActiveSense to the second-gen QuietComfort Headphones, its adaptive noise-cancellation system designed to quickly reduce abrupt, intrusive sounds.

Updated design elements

The QuietComfort series design has stayed consistent since the QuietComfort 45 model launched in 2021. Earlier versions featured an all-plastic headband with perforated sliders, three playback buttons on the right earcup, a power switch on the left earcup, and a Bluetooth slider on the right earcup.

The second-gen QuietComfort Headphones introduce smooth headband sliders, a synthetic leather headband cushion, oval earcups, reduced clamping pressure, and playback plus audio mode buttons that are simpler to locate by touch.

Preorders for the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) start August 8. They come in Black and White Smoke along with three limited-edition shades: Eucalyptus Green, Dewdrop Mint, and Rosewood Mauve.